Air spring



May 19, 192s. 1,538,420

F. S. CHURCH AIR SPRING Original Filed May 31. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A 0mm? May 19, 1925 1,538,420

F. 'S. CHURCH AIR SPRING 0riginal,Fi1ed May 31, 1921 16 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll 4 2o a: as

Patented May 19, 1925,

UNITED STATES PATEN FFI rnANK s. CHURCH, or CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF o THE THOS. .I. "coRCoRAN LAMP Co., or CINCINNATI, 01110, A CORPORATION or OHIO.

AIR SPRING.

on inai a ncat on filedMay 31, 1921, Seria1 No. 473,873. Divided and this application filed April 18,

, 1922. Serial No. 555,474.

Toall whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that I, FRANK S. CHURCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Air Spring, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved air spring of the annular tube diaphragm type disclosed in my copending application seri' ally numbered 473,873, filed May 31, 1921, and of'which this application forms a divisional application thereof.

An object of the air spring now to be described is to produce an improved air spring in which the resiliency of action is greatly increased principally during the main or primary shock absorbing action of the spring, butalso during the secondary or snubbing action thereof.

I This and other objects are attained in the construction described in the following specification and illustrated inv the accompa-nying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an air spring disclosing a construction embodying the improvements of the present invention, showing the spring in normal condition.

Fig. 2 is a view of the constructionshown in Fig. l, but showing in full lines the parts moved to occupy the positions assumed during a movement impelled by a main or primary shock,.and showing in dotted lines the position assumed by the parts upon a snubbing movement responsiveto a secondary or rebound shock, with an added feature of my invention which I employ to increase the snubbing effect of my improved spring constructiong In my invention asI have disclosed it herein, the outer member 23 is of dome shape form, being above an air cushion 24 which is located within the lower enlarged open end of the somewhat elongated sidesare collapsed as shown in the draw- I in'gs. Through the holes of the collapsed cushion a screw threaded stud27 is passed,

this stud screwing into an interiorly located hollow nut 'or disc 28 which. through a method I will not describe l1erein,;is placed in the cushion at the time it is made. The lower end of the stud 27, which projects beyondthe cushion, screws into a spring attaching member 29 which clamps the lower partofthe cushion between it and the nut the cushion rolls when the spring operates, as will be hereinafter described. Stud 27 extends above the cushionat its upper side and screws into spherical air reservoir 31 which is located and moves within the elongated outer member 23v as the cushion moves, the reservoir clamping the upper part of the cushion against the nut. I I

Through the center of stud 27 an air passage 32 is provided, the lower end of the passage communicating withthe inflating valve 33 similar to the usual tire inflating valve, and the upper end having a valve 34 therein for a purpose to be hereinafter de scribed. Transversely extending air pas.- sages 35 formed in the nut and stud, communicate with the central passage 32 of the stud, and located inthe passages is a spring tensioning pin 36 which retains the lower end of a spring 37, the lower end of which is connected with valve 34 to retainv it yieldingly on its seat in the stud 27.

downwardly curved surface 30 over which 28. This member 29 has an outwardly and a hollow substantially The I valve 34 I have shown provided with a bleeder'passage 38, the purpose of which will also be hereinafter described. In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1, a

breather tube .39 is provided in the outer vention shown in Fig. 2 I have shown the curved Walls thereof opposite that portion engaged by the first mentioned member, said element consisting of a solid member located on one side of the cushion and a hollow member located on the other side. of the cushion and having its interior in communication with the interior of the cushion, and a valve between the cushion and the hollow member adaptedto permit freepassage of air from the cushion to the hollow member upon movement to an abnormal FRANK s. CHURCH. 

